Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-07-16
RELIGIONS OF JAPAN
THE RACE BETWEEN BUDDHISM
AND SRINTOISM.
The Temples Of the Japanese Gods
Buddhism and Christianity Ver-
sus Modern Mslterialism.

Seated II .ne teet ri the great HSdre Vi
Baddha, which rests amid the gnarled
csyptomesias and giant cameilias of Hase,
one canseot help the feeling Of awe which
zones as,on him as he guEes at the majestic
FORM @hich bears the beautiful, eternally
ueacesul face of the 2bsorber Of all life,
Anixla. upon the lotus bloom in beatific
repose. VIII he never wake? Will he
never rise? Fires have ragged about HIM.
she waves of the sea, hurled by the earth
quake, have dashed upon kim and torn the
temple crashing to the ground wars time,
all that changes the face of the world have
done their utmost, yet still he siss with
eyes closed, lips resting together, head bent
forward, hands in laps, thumb 10 thumb,
as he has sat for 500 years and will for
ever No fold Of that massive robe shall
ever rustic no hair Of the theusand curls
shall fade
Truly, it is awful; for it s'the visible of
great belief; it is monument which
throws shadow meeting the light of Cal
vary and the cross on either side of the
round earth. Course me with eternal life
bless me with eternal death p is the cry
of the weary in this land and often its
frightened echo is heard from hearts that
are not Oriental.
INTRODUCTION OF RELIGION INTO JAPAN.
1t IS believed that there was no formula
ted religion in Japan until the introduce
ton Of Buddhism from Corea in the first
part of the Christian era, when the native
priests combined in 4 church, calling
themselves Shinto, from the Chinese words
meaning 'the doctrine of the gods" or in
japanese, Kami no michi." The Bud
dhist priests proselyted for many hun
dred years, took all the gods of
the Shiutoists into their list, followed
in the wake of the armies which were
driving the aborigines north, building
their temples and introducing their rites !;
thus absorbing and giving out, they soon
became so intimately connected with the
Shinto religion as to completely hide it,
though not destroy it, for until 1868 the
Shiutoists were but very few, and their
temples or Miya were unnoticed amid the
gorgeous shrines Of the wealthy and SYM
bol-rich Buddhists. All forcible opposi-
ton to the introduction of Buddhism
ceased about the sixth century, when
some powerful member of the imperial
family became a convert. In the days of
Nobunaga, that friend of the Christians"
the Buddhists suffered, but for short sea-
son only. Worship of ancestors is the
0nly tangible part of
THE sHINTo FAITH.
There is no creed, 40 form of worship
beyond the genuAection at the door of a
I. IL r
istence, and the striving after happiness in
this life is its only evident aim. | found
no japanese who could tell me the least
about this belief, though protesting it, In
1868, at the restoration of the Mikado to
real power, the attempt was made to revive
what was called the old faith of Shinto.
This was done for political purposes rather
than religious, for some church was needed
in the governmental machinery to take
the place of Buddhism, whose priests had
favored too strongly the cause of the Sho-
gun. A religious committee met and formu-
lated these three commandments: Honor
the gods and love thy country understand
thoroughly the principles of heaven and
duty of humanity; reverence the Mikado
as master and obey the laws"
The people Went to work with will TO
purify the temples, and in short space
of time the rich symbols of Buddhism
were removed, the names of the gods taken
down from the tori or arches, as the rules
of pure Shinto allow no decorations upon
them, and all the rigid simplicity of the
old sect was again brought out The beau
tiful temples of course could not be de-
stroyed, but their adornments were not
kept in repair, and great loss was the re-
suit. Exquisite works of art in bronze
and lacquer weretaken away and DESTROYED,
and for some time this iconoclasm went on
with the sanction and aid of the Govern
ment.
REVERENCE FOR THE MIKADo
The Mikado is head of the church as
well as State, indeed he is looked upon as
a demi-god, descended from seven gener-
ations of heavenly and five earthly gods.
and one hundred and twenty demi-gods.
He is infallible and what he desires be-
GENES the duty of his people to do. With
all this power n It's command, Shinto is
fast disappearing, for it has none of the
elements OF religion, nothing to satisfy
THAT craving which every human heart
knows 1t has risen simply because it was
raised, and now, since the court has with
drawn its support, Shinto is soon to be no
more. Gradually the old symbols of
Buddhism are creeping back into the tenn
piles; the rich hangings the solemn chants,
the burning candles and the brass plates
bearing the names of gods upon the iorii
are seen again. Had Christianity to cope
with Shinto only, the victory would be
sure IN the favor Of the Cross, but with
Buddhism the field is more equal.
BUDDHISM xs. CHRISTIANITY.
Buddhism has food for the hungry soul
which Shinto starves. The Oriental mind
looks upon complete rest, sort of con-
scious death, dream of oblivion, as the
ultimate desired end. Buddhism, the
natural growth from Oriental thought.
offers this reward, and to it are opposed
the absolute nothingness of Shinto and the
eternal life and action of Christianity.
The former has fallen from its own weak
ness, the latter must stand or fail through
equal battle. In no country has Buddhism
been brought toso high q point Of perfec-
ton as in Japan, and nowhere else has
il had the political power in so great
degree, bun / doubt that it ever regains
that power; NOT that Il is unsuited to the
people, nor that ii cannot be nodded to
keep step with the present adoption of
European IDEAS but that the Japan of to-
day seeks to be as foreign as possible; it
is fast becoming fashionable to be called
Christian or atheist, and Buddhism and
Shinto are not the style among the upper
classes of the so-called progressive men.
THE DrFFERIscE BETwEEN BUDDHISM
AID sIuNToIsM.
The difference between these two churches
SIS difficult to show or even learn, for the
centuries of combination have produced
such mixture SO is by no means easy to
separate. Perhaps a description of the
temples OF either sect would best show
that difference, or at least the outward
difference. \ Shinto temple in its proper
dress, untouched By Buddhism, is a plain
Imprinted building Of wood, its roof is a
th@tch of bark oiten twe feet or more in
thickness, giving an eject of velvet. Be
fore she main entrance arch is a trough
With bars over it 10 receive the offerings
of The worshipers. The interior is en-
tirely devoid of ornament, image or any
symbol save the gohei, a pole Sith two long
strips of paper attached 10 IL this paper is
notched ~ cut in, first on one side and /
then the ether, SO that when hung up It's |